Where are you located?

I am in Connecticut

I am amazed that there is nobody out there, where have you looked? I think you can google CBT therapist and something has to pop up. I will be honest from all my research on the subject meds for children that age are not often prescribed due to their development. But they do issue them on certain occassions. Therapy is the best method even psychiatrist will admit this. Look for cbt or erp therapy this is what they use to control OCD, I recently started using rubbing alcohol to clean my hands and its painful. If there is anything I can do or answer let me know

I am amazed that there is nobody out there, where have you looked? I think you can google CBT therapist and something has to pop up. I will be honest from all my research on the subject meds for children that age are not often prescribed due to their development. But they do issue them on certain occassions. Therapy is the best method even psychiatrist will admit this. Look for cbt or erp therapy this is what they use to control OCD, I recently started using rubbing alcohol to clean my hands and its painful. If there is anything I can do or answer let me know

I'm not sure if this is a resource you've looked into be here's a link to doctors who specialize in OCD in Connecticut: http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/prof_results.php?state=CT&spec=15

As OCDWHYME said medications are generally not prescribed to young children but I thought you should know this: I, like many people, have suffered from OCD almost as long as I can remember and suffered severely as a child and on through adulthood. I now have a fiance and a beautiful baby boy. Remember there is always a future full of possibility.

Just an idea but I gravitated toward music, particularly the drums, and having something to learn about and enjoy has not only freed my mind but provided me with a source of income! If your child has a passion help him feed it.

I agree with the above posters about how hard it can be to give kids many of the pysch meds used for adults with OCD as they can adversley affect youngsters. However, many kids are struck with OCD as I was, many years ago, at age 15 but others at even younger ages. Your son is not alone, I assure you.

I used to live in CT and that is where the OCD foundation started In Milford and it is now in Boston. You might try to find their website where they now call themselves the "IOCDF" or 'Intl OCD Foundation". Their old web addy was "OCF.org". Maybe they can direct you to a child OCD specialist. Might even try calling them up and talking to someone.

I think that Yale U has a Behaviroal Therapy or Anxiety disorders clinic. If U lived in FF county, CT and did not mind the drive, one of the best OCD shrinks in the USA, works in Huntington, NY (Long Island) if he has not retired. Not sure if he works with kids but he could direct you to whomever does. His name is Dr Fred Penzel.

ERP or "exposure and response prevention" (which is just the umbrella name for BT and CBT), is the only effective therapy I know of to treat OCD although others will cite some other less used therapies. Of course, I know meds help many adults with OCD.

I wish you well but there is so much info out in there on the web, in OCD books, OCD articles, at the OCD foundation in Boston and there are anxiety disorder clinics around the country. the best place I know of is the OCD Institute at Mclean Hospital in Belmont, MA (run by both MGH and Harvard Med School). Might try calling them up and asking for a referral.

You must keep looking and networking as many of us have had to do even going back many years ago before the internet and so much info existed. Keep pushing and looking.

I hope when you wrote about 'therapy" not helping your son, it was not psychotherapy or talk therapy which is completely useless in OCD unless one has the most mildest of cases. Having a shrink try to reassure your son that his germ fears are not real is a waste of time, money and energy and will only serve to make your son feel more depressed and hopeless where there is real hope and help out there.

Good luck!

Have you googled "help for children with OCD"?

Topazmoon,

I just spent 5 minutes on the web and this is what I came up with;

I was right. Yale U in New Haven has the "Yale OCD Research Clinic". Their phone #'s are 203-974-7523 or 855-OCD-YALE. Call them ASAP!

The IOCDF in Boston's phone number is 617-973-5801. Call them ASAP! I am sure they can direct U to a good shrink for your son.

The OCD Institute at Mclean Hospital in Belmont, MA (just outside of Boston) is the best place I know ofd for an OCDer to get help but I fear they do not take adolescents. But they can give U great info and probablky the names of shrinks that specialize in kids with OCD. Their 'help and info" phone # is 617-855-3371. they also list another # as 800-333-0338. Call them as well. All this will be a GREAT education for U and can only help your son.

Lastly, the following links came up when I googled "helping kids (or children) with OCD";

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/OCD.html - 43k - Cached - Similar pages About OCD; Causes; Common OCD Behaviors in Kids; Signs and Symptoms of OCD; Diagnosing OCD;
Treating OCD; Helping Kids With OCD. All kids have ...

Treatment for Children with OCD - YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5dlLL3FFzg - 181k - Cached - Similar pages Jan 5, 2010 ... Few children are without certain worries or fears, and its normal for children to develop rituals, such as at bedtime. But for the estimated 1-2 ...

Medicines for OCD in Children and Teens - Obsessive Compulsive ... http://www.ocfoundation.org/Meds_Kids.aspx - 31k - Cached - Similar pages Both cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and medicine effectively treat OCD in children and teens. Their use is supported by the treatment guidelines of the ...

Parents of Children With OCD - Understanding Obsessive ... http://understanding_ocd.tripod.com/ocd_parents.html - 33k - Cached - Similar pages Finding professional help will be 1 of the first steps you should take as a parent. Just know that with approximately 1 out of 200 OCD kids in the USA, your child ...

Symptoms of OCD in Children - Natural OCD Treatment for Children http://www.nativeremedies.com/ailment/ocd-in-children-info.html - 84k - Cached - Similar pages Information on the Signs and Symptoms of OCD in Children. Natural OCDTreatment for Children with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

I Know all this info will help you and your son.

Thanks so much again for the replies - lostandinpain - I live in Milford, that is so funny, and I saw that website but could not find any more info about it. I guess I will go with a therapist rather than a prescribing doctor. I think it is more than OCD, he has been diagnosed with Tourettes. PANDAS and PDD NOS, but I am not sure about that one. It was done by the school. He has tics and anxiety on top of the OCD. I know they can all be related. He does currently go to Occupational Therapy outside of school and meets with the counselor twice a week at school. His tics are really bad right now, but I think it is because the holidays are coming and he is excited. I will look at all those websites and hopefully I can find one that takes my insurance. If not, I will pay out of pocket. Thanks again

Also - I did contact Yale, and there is a long waiting list, but I am still going to try to get him in there.

topazmoon,

Best of luck to you and your son. That just seems so unfair for a child to have to deal with so many disorders and suffer so much. They may be related but I would have no idea.

That is ironic that you live in the very town (isn't Bic pen in that town?) where 4 women found eachother and started what they used to call the "Obsessive compulsive foundation" way back in 1985. As I already wrote, it was moved up to Boston a few years ago and is now called the "IOCDF" and their websoite willl come up if you just google those initials (maybe "IOCDF.org").

Anyway, wishing you and your son the best and hope you can find a shrink and med or med combo that makes your son feel much better. Maybe there is even someone out there who will know how to treat all his disorders together, making you not have to see different MDs/PHD's for OCD, Tourettes, Tics and PANDAS.

Hang in there, as difficult as it seems there is light at the end of the tunnel, I think you have to tackle the fact that he does not want any help because with him rejecting help its going to be a very difficult battle. Once he accepts help it will get allot easier for everyone, sorry that these issues all come together during the holidays, but once again I am happy to hear that your so supportive! Also I have heard the term pandas allot and from what I hear that is often times the cause of many of these disorders at least OCD.